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SHOP HOURS

ASSISTANTS WANT A SHORTER WEEK

APPEAL FOR LEGISLATION

Representatives of the shop assistants' unions throughout New Zealand waited on the Prime Minister yesterday to suggest to him that ho might this session introduce legislation to right some grievances which they have cherished for some tune. Especially they asked for a statutory reduction of the maximum number of hours prescribed for shop assistants. The deputation was introduced by Mr, ,T. M'Combs, M.P., and supported bv a number of other members of Parliament. Mr. M'Combs spoke of the fiftv-two hours week now prescribed by" tho statute as the maximum hours during which shop assistants might be worked"! and he said that the difficulty was fbat while the statute fixed the hours in this way, the Court had laid it down that the hours question would not be dealt with in any awards made by the Court. Mr. Massey: But the provision in the statute is by way of a maximum. Mr. M'Combs: But so also the Court fixes a maximum. Mr. Massey: Tho Court has power to deal with hou.rs. Mr. M'Combs: They say not. Mr. R. D. Martin sa ; d that in actual fact varying hours were worked in the shops. Some establishments worked their assistants for 52 hour? per week, others •IS, and others 45 hours. The shop assistants had originally intended to a«k for legislation fixing a. <lflV hours' week, but in view of the fact that tho present session was to be a short one, they had modified their request, and now asked for a week of U hours, with provision for closing at 5.30 p.m. on five days of the week, and nt noon nn Saturday. He asHired the Prime Minister that every effort had been made to secwe reduction of hours by other means. Many of the shopkeepers—a majority of them—wore prepared to accept a reduction of hoiiTs, lint whilo there were others who held out n?ainst it the reform could not be generally adopted. It could be achieved only bv legislation. Other requests were that the Saturday should be observed as a whole holiday at Easter, that the clause providing that in case a half-holiday occurs in the week the ordinary haltholidnv need not bo given bo repealed, and that chemists' shops should not be allowed to remain open on Sundays. Mr. R.' M'Keen asked for the repeal of the clause by which an employer was permitted to 'work an employeo receiving „-G2flfl per year or more overtime without paving wa'cres for the extra time worked. Mr. A. W. Croskery said that the provisions of tho law relating to heating accommodation and seating accommodation in shops were not beinc; efficiently administered bv the Labour Department. Ho declared that the administration of this section of the law by the Labour Department wn« '.'an nhsolute disgrace."' Mr. Tsitt, M.P.. snid that he was probably the only retailer present, and ho assured the Prime Minister that there was a universal desire on the part of the employers to meet the demands of the employees. Ho did not quite see how tho it hours' wc n k could hi worked. Tho closing nt 5.30 was no difficnltv, but it was much to be desired that the shops should be opened for a few nrnutes before fl in the morning. Nor did he think tlmt tho late night could be dono away with, although an how might be cut off the workimr time. The shopkeepers- did not want this late night in their own interests, but thero were many working people who bad no other opportunity of doing their chopping. Mr. Massey said that he boliccd it was necessary periodically to review such Acts as.the Shops and Offices Act nnd the Factories Act. During the war period legislation of this kind had been impossible, and it was not much easier to deal with it even yet. Parliament was now within a few days of the end of the si?=sio". and already some members had left Wellington. A report had got out that an amendment of the Shops and .Offices Act was contemplated, and he had received ?. number of communications from employers asking that they be heard before any change was mado in the law. These people had a ritrht to be heard now that they had asked for it, and the position was simply thet there would not b» time to hear them. For this, reason ho did not think that an amendment of the law would be possible this year. For his own part there was no 4-1 hours week in his ' office. He came to his office at 9, everv morning, and he was always well content to see members go home at 1.30 the next morning. Parliament was working at the highest pressure. He did not think it would be possible to continue the session beyond the end of next week, and he did not see how nny more was to be added to the programme for.the session. The matters raised were nil matters that would require consideration by the House, and members would not be prennred to let them tliroujrli without talking about them, and at some length. He was not finding fault with the deputation fo l ' coming forward with the-r requests, and if he had the opportunity he would be only too glad to give Parliament, some proposals regarding them. He thought that Hie powers of the Court, should be extended to givo the Court the right not only to fix hours of work of shop assistants, but to fix hours for the 'closin.tr of sliops. Something of this sort might be arranged ens'lv enough. Mr. Martin: Will you do it this session ? Mr. Massey: I don't mind frying. Mr. Witty': T think you will get that through all right. Mr. Martin: That would, materially assist us. Mr. Croskery said that this would involve a delay of three months in getting the matters before the Court, and he still pressed for other legislation. Mr. Massey 'pointed ou,t again that if anything of the sort were proposed the employers, even, a minority of them, would have the right to be heard ljefnre the Labour Bills Committee, nnd this would take moro lime thnn could be found for the business. He said t l -' the House would have to meet very early next year, and owing to war accumulation members of the Houso must come next venr prepared for a six months session. "If the matter could be allowed t" stand over for the time being he would uife nn undertaking that next, year, if lie were still in office, which he thought quite likelv, the Shops and Offices Bill would be revised. In the meantime he •would be prepared to introduce a clause giving the Court power to fix hours of closiue of sliops. As the deputation withdrew Mr. Massey gave instructions to Mr. Rowley, Secretary of Labour, to have a- clause drefted f o give effect to the promise he had made. ,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19191024.2.83

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 25, 24 October 1919, Page 10

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,170

SHOP HOURS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 25, 24 October 1919, Page 10

SHOP HOURS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 25, 24 October 1919, Page 10

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